Introducing the latest additions to Blancpain’s Villeret collection

Introducing the latest additions to Blancpain’s Villeret collection | The Gentleman's Journal

Blancpain, founded in 1735, is the world’s oldest existing watchmaker. But where did its first timepieces tick to life, those several centuries ago? In the small Swiss village of Villeret, that's where. It follows, then, that the brand’s most classically styled line takes its name from that historic hamlet.

This autumn marks a quiet evolution for the Villeret collection. Three new models — spanning sixteen references — introduce richer dials, reimagined details, and an ingenious interchangeable strap system. Each design refines the collection’s familiar language while adding a contemporary sense of versatility and depth.

Beneath these updates lies Blancpain’s enduring devotion to craft. The automatic movements are beautifully finished, their bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève and delicate bevelling. A newly satin-brushed, open-worked oscillating weight offers a modern flourish — a subtle interplay of heritage and innovation visible through the sapphire caseback.

It’s a continuation of a legacy first set in motion in 1983, when Blancpain unveiled the smallest complete calendar moon phase of its time. With its double-stepped bezel and quietly restrained styling, that watch defied the era’s electronic tide, reaffirming the brand’s belief in the artistry and permanence of mechanical timekeeping. The spirit of that statement endures — refined, reinterpreted, and still very much alive in Villeret today.

The Villeret Ultraplate is clean and clear

The 40mm Villeret Ultraplate offers an unfussy overview of the collection’s latest updates. Available in stainless steel or the 18 carat gold seen above, the dial comes in opaline or golden brown variants. The hands have been honed and refined in comparison to previous models, and luminescent inserts now offer both a crisper look and improved legibility in low light.

The indices, too, have been enhanced to boost readability. Cast in 18 carat gold, the Roman numerals feature satin-finished tops and polished bezels on their sides — an improvement echoed across every Villeret new to this 2025 range. Another collection-wide change sees the traditional ’12’ numeral replaced by the letters ‘JB’ (this, another nod to the brand’s storied past, refers to founder Jehan-Jacques Blancpain). From £10,100.

The Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune features an expressive moon phase

Another 40mm model, the Villeret Quantième Complet Phases de Lune showcases a further subtle stylistic tweak: a gently reworked Villeret case. With a slimmer bezel, larger crown, thinner profile and reworked lugs, each of these small adjustments has dialled in Blancpain’s traditional design to slightly lighten the watch's design — without sacrificing its more metaphorical weight or substance.

Available in the same case/dial colour variations as the Ultraplate, the headline here is that utterly expressive moon phase, with its enlarged opening, ceramic disc and wryly smiling golden moon (which is not only satin-finished — but also delicately domed). The watch also features a neat way to adjust calendar indications at any time: under-lug correctors, patented by Blancpain two decades ago, that can be operated with a push of a finger. From £15,600.

The Villeret Quantième Phases de Lune

Blancpain’s smaller Villeret moon phase calendar (33.2mm) gets eight new references in the 2025 collection — four of which are enhanced with diamond-set bezels. And, while these more delicate models don’t feature the under-lug correctors of the Quantième Complet above (instead having traditional correctors on the caseband), the new interchangeable strap and clasp system still guarantees ergonomic comfort.

At its heart, this system — which, once again, has been deployed across all of the latest launches — features straps crafted with artisanal techniques and steeped in tradition. Saddle-cut, supple and hand-stitched, they are offered in four shades — brown, honey, beige nubuck and blue-grey — and possess a textured, matte ‘Barolo’ finish guaranteed to develop a natural patina over many years to come.

And this makes sense. As, much like the enduring brand itself, one thing’s for certain: you can always count on Blancpain to stand the test of time. From £11,800.